My First Time Photographing Sedona In Winter | Arizona
Photographing Sedona is one of the best experiences of my life. I first visited this Arizonian town was with my husband James was back in March 2012. It is located 119 miles (191kms) from the Grand Canyon on this wonderful scenic loop just south of iconic Route 66. My first impression of it was quite surreal and overwhelming.
I had been sleeping in the car when James woke me up and said ‘you might want to see this’. I literally felt like I had woken up in a western movie. The images I had grown up with on television and viewed in beautiful works of art were all around me. I had no idea that the desert could be so tall, there were red rock mountains and buttes everywhere. We did stop and take some photos, but we had to press on and get back to route 66 before nightfall.
I promised myself that I would head back there some day. Although I never anticipated I would be photographing Sedona in the winter months and have one of the best days of my life.
On our last visit to the United States I made sure to set a few days aside to try and capture the snow in Sedona. I was aware that the chance of it snowing when we were going to be there was slim, but I had to give it a go. I was almost going to go by myself and I am so glad I didn’t. Sharing this experience with James was incredible.
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Photographing Sedona In Winter 4 Years Later
We arrived on the first day pretty tired from our long drive from Silver City in New Mexico. I had booked a room at Sky Ranch Lodge, as the view from there was said to be one of the best in town, and it was. We ended up staying there for a couple of days and then found somewhere a little cheaper near the golf course called The Ridge On Sedona Golf Resort. This is the place that we would definitely stay in again.
Our first day photographing Sedona was a lot of fun, but really cold and wet. It rained off and on all day and I did manage to get a few great images. It was not until day two that all the magic happened. I woke up at Sky Ranch Lodge and could not see the town at all. Snow and fog had engulfed the area. Unfortunately the road down the mountain was closed until around 10am and I could get out and start taking images.
We decided that coffee and breakfast were to be first on the list. While at a local cafe we got out our map and decided to start from the southwestern end of Sedona and work our way around. Our first destination was Dry Creek Road.
The view on our first morning from Sky Ranch Lodge
The view on our second morning from Sky Ranch Lodge
Photographing Sedona: The South Western Side
The scenery on Dry Creek Road was unexpected. The sheer scale of the red rock formations was mind blowing. Also having not experienced a lot of snow in my life I really appreciated what I was seeing. Just when I thought the scenery couldn’t get any better we turned onto Boynton Pass Road and then onto Boynton Canyon Road. I have never seen a better looking winter desert location.
Many of my favorite images from photographing Sedona were taken around the entry way to Boynton Canyon. There is a car park at the canyon’s trail head and if you walk back to the road you will have the opportunity to get some amazing photos.
Boynton Canyon Road – Buy Here
‘Arizona Winter’ was photographed on Dry Creek Road – Buy Here
‘Wild West Wilderness’ was photographed from Boynton Canyon Road – Buy Here
‘Cactus Country’ was photographed on Dry Creek Road – Buy Here
My husband James capturing a few images.
‘Snow On Red Rock’ was photographed from Dry Creek Road – Buy Here
‘Sedona Snow’ was photographed from Boynton Canyon Road – Buy Here
‘Into The Void’ was photographed from Boynton Canyon Road – Buy Here
Photographing Sedona: The Northern Side
Late on my second day photographing Sedona I ventured up to Midgley Bridge next to Wilson Canyon on the northern side of town. This was the one place I had stopped to take photos on my visit to the area in 2012. Oak Creek runs along the side of the road and due to the rain and snow there was a lot of water passing through the area.
There were also waterfalls running off from the canyon, it was beautiful sight. By this stage of the day I had nearly frozen to death. I highly recommend dressing better for the occasion than I did. I did have my warmest jacket and gloves on but they still failed to keep me dry and more importantly, warm.
‘Oak Creek In Winter’ was photographed from Midgley Bridge – Buy Here
‘Wilson Canyon’ was photographed from the Midgley Bridge Car Park – Buy Here
Photographing Sedona: The Eastern Side
This is where a lot of the famous buttes and rock formations this geological wonderland is famous for are located. It is also where I spent my entire first day photographing Sedona.
Rain fell on most the day and the direction I was focusing on was hazy and hard to capture well. I reorientated myself and experimented with different focal lengths and white balance settings. I was really happy with the result and managed to capture some dark and gloomy, yet dramatic images.
There are some amazing walks you can take to get a better vantage point of the scenery. You can also get a day pass that covers many of the walks, instead of paying for them individually.
Bell Rock – Buy Here
Southwest Ridge – Buy Here
The Winter Weather In Sedona
Driving in the snow it can be really dangerous. I have to admit I was quite scared on the drive back to New Mexico. We had to cross a mountain and the road had vanished under thick layers of snow. James told me to get my camera and take photos out the window of the car. This was a great distraction and I ended up with a really cool picture of a ghostly looking tree blanked in show (pictured below).
We were the last car to come down from the mountain before they closed it off. As much as I was scared I was also fascinated by the beauty and power of nature. Many people flock to the Arizona during the summer months and the shoulder seasons. After my experience photographing Sedona in winter I highly recommend you putting it on your list of must see places.
‘Winter’ was on of the images I captured on the drive back to New Mexico – Buy Here
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